Back in 2019, Kolkata-based pop duo Parekh & Singh cancelled their India tour after Nischay Parekh, one half of the pair, took to social media to discuss his struggle with “anxiety, stress and depression”. “I’ve been a natural performer and while I know that many live performers suffer from performance anxiety, mine just seemed to evolve and grow as the years went by,” Parekh had said in his Instagram post. Last week, the independent music scene saw the demise of 31-year-old Bhaanu Mendiratta, a guitarist and composer, who suffered from schizophrenia and died by suicide. His death has put the spotlight on the extreme stress experienced by musicians. 

A Swedish-based digital distribution platform Record Union, in 2019, had published results of a study stating that 73 per cent independent musicians have experienced anxiety and/or depression in relation to their work. Of the 1,500 indie artistes surveyed, 33 per cent had also experienced panic attacks. Fear of failure, financial instability, loneliness and the pressure to succeed were other main drivers.